Faced with Sean Strickland’s biting criticism, Gina Carano chose not to start a war of words. Instead, her response attempted to dissect the man behind the outspoken critic. As anticipation grows for her long-awaited fight with Ronda Rousey on May 16, Carano has made it clear that the narrative around the matchup goes deeper than age jokes or online trash talk.

Former UFC middleweight champion Strickland recently dismissed the bout, calling it a fight between “two middle-aged women going through menopause” and predicting that Rousey would easily “steamroll” Carano. The comments quickly circulated across MMA media, setting the stage for Carano’s response during a press conference promoting the event. Instead of firing back with insults, the women’s MMA pioneer took a different approach. Speaking to FightHype after the first presser, she suggested that the former middleweight champion’s criticism says more about his mindset than the fight itself.

“You know, I think that… don’t you want some Viking a– women in your country to be like, ‘I’m gonna defend the house, I’m gonna defend my kid, I’m gonna defend myself at the gas station if I need to.’ Like you want your nieces and your daughters,” Carano said. “Sean Strickland would too, you know. You want to be able to be a woman and be able to defend yourself, and what we represent up here is doing that. And so I think he’s got a little bit twisted.

“I don’t really pay attention to him or his words. I think they’re sadly coming from a hurt place. And hurt people hurt people. I think that he’s being exploited a bit and that pain is on full display, and all you can really do is just pray for people’s healing.”

The fight itself already carries historic weight. Rousey, a former UFC champion and Olympic medalist, hasn’t competed in MMA since 2016, when she lost to Amanda Nunes in 48 seconds at UFC 207. Carano’s absence has been even longer. The former Strikeforce star hasn’t fought since 2009, when she lost to Cris Cyborg in the promotion’s inaugural women’s featherweight title fight. Yet despite those gaps, the matchup has drawn global attention because of what both women represent in the sport’s early growth.

Now, in 2026, the fight is finally happening, but under very different circumstances. Instead of the UFC, the bout will headline Most Valuable Promotions’ first MMA event, streaming globally on Netflix. That platform alone guarantees massive exposure, even if both athletes are far removed from their competitive primes.

Whether fans view the fight as nostalgia-bait, spectacle, or genuine competition, one thing is clear: Gina Carano isn’t letting Sean Strickland’s comments define the narrative. Instead, she’s framing the fight as something bigger than two names on a poster. And according to Holly Holm, the woman who handed ‘Rowdy’ her first loss inside the Octagon, there’s one factor that may determine the winner of this bout.

Gina Carano vs. Ronda Rousey hinges on their ‘game plan,’ claims Holly Holm

Holly Holm, the woman who famously ended Rousey’s unbeaten run at UFC 193 in 2015, recently shared her thoughts on the upcoming bout between Rousey and Carano. Now, more than a decade later, she sees the May 16 fight as one that could hinge on something simple: discipline.

“I think whoever sticks to their game plan is going to come out with the win,” Holm said during a conversation with FightHype. “Gina hasn’t been in there in a long time, but she’s also not a stranger to the spotlight. She was one of the first females to be on cable television as a main event. And so she’s been there. She’s not a stranger to it. Same thing with Ronda.”

Holm pointed out that Rousey’s résumé speaks for itself. As a former champion and Olympic medalist, she built her success on years of work and a grappling skill set that’s difficult to stop once she gets it going.

That means Carano’s challenge will be avoiding those positions and forcing the fight into areas where she’s more comfortable. At the same time, Holm noted that both women have been away for long stretches, so the early exchanges should tell the real story. According to her, once “the first punches are thrown,” it’ll quickly become clear how the fight is likely to unfold. And once the bell rings, none of the commentary surrounding the fight, whether it be from fans or fighters like Sean Strickland, will matter much at all.